The invention relates to a tilting cooking system, and more particularly to a tilting frypan having a system for draining liquid from the frypan.
Cooking systems used in preparing large quantities of food normally have included a large cooking vessel which must be periodically drained and cleaned. Various means have been provided for raising and tilting the cooking vessel to pour used cooking fluid or cleaning water into an adjacent reservoir, such as a drain pan, which had to be carried to a sink and emptied. Usually the drain pan needed to be filled and emptied several times to remove the contents of the larger cooking vessel. Moreover, complex mechanisms were required to maintain the top of the vessel and the reservoir in close proximity during the pouring operation.
The present invention provides for a simplified and convenient system of tilting and draining the fluid contents of a cooking vessel. The vessel is pivotally mounted in a support housing and is provided with a pouring lip along its rim to direct the poured fluid. Tilting apparatus is mounted beneath the frypan to rotate the vessel around its pivot point. Flow means are provided adjacent the frypan to receive the discharged fluid from the pouring lip and direct it to an external outlet.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a frypan is pivotally supported by a free-standing cabinet and has a pouring spout integral with the frypan rim. A tilting mechanism mounted beneath the frypan elevates and rotates the frypan about a pivotal axis to pour liquid through the pour spout to a surge reservoir. The pivotal axis is located to maintain the pouring spout in a position overlapping the edge of the surge reservoir during pouring. A swivel spout is connected to an outlet in the bottom of the surge reservoir and directs the discharged water to an external drainage container in front of the cabinet or to a floor drain by way of flexible drain tubing.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a frypan is pivotally mounted in supporting structure having means for tilting the frypan to discharge its liquid contents. A pouring lip is provided near the rim of the frypan. A telescoping drain tube is vertically mounted on the supporting structure below the pouring lip, and may be extended to the pouring lip or retracted into the supporting structure. The pivotal axis of the frypan is positioned to maintain the extended vertical drain tube in a substantially encompassing relationship with the end of the pouring lip while the frypan is being tilted. The drain tube directs the discharged liquid to a storage reservoir in the supporting structure to a floor drain having an outlet.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a pan holder is provided on a structure supporting a tiltable frypan with a pouring spout. A cafeteria pan is removably supported within the holder adjacent the frypan for temporarily containing food products before and after frying. A drain pan having an outlet in the bottom is supported in the holder in place of the cafeteria pan to receive the liquid contents of the frypan when tilted. An outlet in the bottom of the drain pan is connected to a drain pipe to direct discharged liquid to a storage reservoir or an external outlet. Both the cafeteria pan and the drain pan may be removed and the pan holder may be pivoted to a vertical position to allow an operator closer access to the frypan.